Articles
HARVESTING THE FRENCH WAY: VINTNER RELIES ON TIME-HONORED BURGUNDIAN
METHODS TO BRING GRAPES FROM SOIL TO BOTTLE
Published on September 14, 2004
© 2004- The Press Democrat
BY: TIM TESCONI
Jean-Charles Boisset believes it's so important to have a close personal relationship with wine he strips down to shorts and plunges into a tank of fermenting grapes to mix skins and juice at his Santa Rosa winery.
``I hope that someday they say this wine has good body,'' quipped Boisset,
35, as he emerged with purple pinot noir grape skins plastered to his
legs and toes. His swim through the grape goo was performed in the privacy
of the cellar at DeLoach Vineyards, the Russian River Valley winery the
Boisset family of France acquired in November.
Climbing out of the vat, Boisset is a sticky mess, but he said no cold,
stainless steel machine could duplicate the delicate cycle of human legs
and feet in punching down the ``cap,'' the floating layer of skins in
a fermenting vat of crushed grapes.
Afterward, he hoses down and gets into his working clothes, the blue jeans and starched white shirt that are his trademark attire as a young European wine executive.
Boisset, energetic and passionate, is a member of the French family that purchased the venerable DeLoach Vineyards from bankruptcy court in a $17.5 million deal.
Although he jets to his family's wine properties around the world, his wine roots run deep as he gets involved in harvest and talks about the artistry of ``elevage,'' the French term for bringing grapes to their highest level as wine.
``It's like raising children; you love and nurture the grapes so they will be the best they can be,'' said Boisset.
The Boisset family are bringing a taste of France -- and a touch of old-world elegance -- to the Sonoma County harvest as they apply some of the ancient winemaking traditions used in their native Burgundy.
Instead of stainless steel tanks, they use huge French oak vats to open-ferment pinot noir and zinfandel. Instead of machines, human legs and feet are used for ``pigeage,'' the French word for punching down the skins in a tank of fermenting juice.
The Sonoma County harvest, the earliest in years, is more than half-finished as tons of grapes reach maturity and move to winery crushers.
The fast and furious harvest, which has bigger wineries working around the clock, is expected to be nearly finished by Oct. 1, a month earlier than in most years.
`An American pinot noir'
The Boisset family believes the Russian River Valley is the best place in California to grow and produce pinot noir and chardonnay, the classic wines of Burgundy.
``While Burgundy is the standard for pinot noir, we want DeLoach Winery to become the standard for an American pinot noir,'' said Boisset. ``That will be achieved through an evolution in grape growing and winemaking. It will take time. We are at Step 1, with 20 steps to go.''
Boisset's dedication to quality is evident as he floats around the fermenting tank. Seeing a half-naked man immerse himself in grape skins is an unusual sight in Wine Country, at least in Northern California's Wine Country.
If North Coast wineries don't use machines to punch down the floating skins, they use paddles or sticks to mix the skins and juice. It's all part of the winemaking process to enhance the flavor and character of the wine by exposing juice in the bottom of the tank to the floating skins.
Adhering to tradition
``We believe the simple, most traditional methods work the best,'' said Boisset. ``Physical pigeage is more delicate and less violent to the grapes than a machine.''
DeLoach winemaker Greg La Follette shares the Boisset family's philosophy of ``less is more'' when it comes to winemaking.
He believes the best wines are those from organically grown grapes that express the vine's relationship to the soil and microclimate in which it grows. Terroir is the French word for the viticultural circumstances of a specific vineyard, all the natural conditions that influence the grapevine, and ultimately, the composition of the grape itself.
``As a winemaker, my job is to bring the land into a bottle of wine,'' said La Follette, who made his mark with pinot noir and chardonnay at Flowers Vineyard & Winery in Cazadero.
``It's not about imposing our will but sitting back and listening to the voice of each vineyard.''
You can reach Staff Writer Tim Tesconi at 521-5289 or ttesconi@pressdemcrat.com.
PHOTO: 1 by CHRISTOPHER CHUNG / The Press Democrat
Vintner Jean-Charles Boisset treads on grapes as winemaker Greg La Follette
holds a rope connected to Boisset's harness Monday at DeLoach Vineyards.
